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City Councilman Eric Garcetti won the first L.A. mayor’s race since the Great Recession with a simple message: telling voters he’d solve their basic problems. Dakota Smith in the Daily News,

Instead of promises to hire cops, Garcetti offered more muted goals, telling voters their phone calls to City Hall would be returned, the streets paved, and he’d make job creation a priority.

A day after defeating rival Wendy Greuel, Garcetti stuck to that back-to-basics theme at event on an Echo Park basketball court. The city’s economy remains his top priority, he said, adding that it’s time to “put the recession in the rearview mirror. “

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is making his third trip to China today, leading a delegation of business and tourism leaders to promote travel and asking businesses to open offices in Los Angeles. Daily News,

The trip to Beijing, from Sunday through Wednesday, is being paid for by the Los Angeles World Airports, Port of Los Angeles and the Tourism and Convention Board. Its cost is estimated at $80,000.

With no dissent and few changes, the Los Angeles City Council on Thursday adopted Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s final budget for the city, a $7.7 billion spending plan that seeks to restore some services cut over the past few years. Daily News,

In a session lasting less than three hours, the council voted 12-0 to support most of Villaraigosa’s proposals, but did delay for six months his plan to consolidate the city Planning and Building and Safety departments for further study. The ordinances will now be drafted to return for a final approval by the City Council.

Villaraigosa had called on the unions to forgo a planned 5.5 percent salary hike, but he included the $21 million cost in a special fund in case there is no agreement.

Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti on Wednesday described himself as a “street-level mayor” in his first appearance since winning Los Angeles’ highest office, saying he will focus on the city’s economy while also working to restore basic services. Dakota Smith in the Daily News,

Surrounded by supporters, Garcetti met with reporters on a basketball court in Echo Park, a neighborhood represented by the councilman since 2001. His main priorities, he said, will be luring businesses to L.A. and creating job growth, and bringing back services like tree trimming and street paving.

“This is a place where we are ready to put the recession in the rearview mirror, and move forward with prosperity once again,” Garcetti said.

The overwhelming approval of Proposition D on Tuesday’s ballot – and the rejection of two competing proposals – could result in the shutdown of hundreds of marijuana dispensaries around Los Angeles, but exactly how and when that would happen remains undetermined. Daily News.

One thing is known, however, and that is the pot shops aren’t likely to go quietly. They have already shown a tendency to fight the city through initiative and lawsuit, and some say they are continuing to weigh their legal options now.